Monday, February 15, 2016

In The Heights, Beck Center

Now
that composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda has commandeered the attention of
the world with his gigantic Broadway hit Hamilton,
it seems a good time to revisit his first hit show. And happily, the Beck
Center production of his In The Heights is
everything you could hope for, carrying this often saccharine-sweet musical
over the finish line in a blast of effusive salsa, hip-hop and several kick-ass
performances.

Set
in a Dominican-American neighborhood in New York City called Washington Heights
in the heat of summer, the story swirls around a bodega owned by a bashful
young man named Usnavi, a taxi business run by a husband-and-wife team, Kevin
and Camila, and a beauty salon where the sassy owner Daniela and her stylists
Vanessa and Carla hold court. As we quickly learn from the exposition-laden
title song, “Everybody’s got a job/Everybody’s got a dream.”

And
while there are ups and downs in this colorful little corner of urban America,
the downs don’t stay down for long—because here comes another upbeat and infectious
song that makes everyone dance in the streets! Sure, Kevin and Camila’s
daughter Nina has dropped out of college. And sure, Benny’s budding romance
with Nina is frowned upon by her parents. And yes, Usnavi’s stand-in
grandmother Claudia dreams of going home, before those plans are suddenly
ended. Even Usnavi’s hyper cousin Sonny is a constant irritant. But the café de
leche is sweet and optimism rules the day.

What
keeps this all from being too cloying is the pneumatic energy of Miranda’s
songs and the electric performances of the cast, many of whom are students at
Baldwin Wallace University, under the effusive direction of Victoria Bussert.
In the lead role of Usnavi, Ellis C. Dawson III is a big guy with a heart that
pumps pure raspberry syrup—the kind that the piragua pushcart guy squirts on
snow cones. Dawson provides a strong center for the show to revolve around.

As
Claudia, Jessie Cope Miller sings with quiet passion, which is a distinct
contrast to Michael Canada’s Sonny, who quivers amusingly like a just-struck
tuning fork for much of the proceedings. Also excellent are the sultry
Christiana Perrault as Vanessa, strong-voiced Livvy Marcus as Nina, and Isabel
Plana as the no-nonsense Daniela. Indeed, there is not a significant off-note
struck in the entire cast, even with a few suspiciously white-looking actors
taking on some of the Dominican roles.

An
important element in this production’s success is Gregory Daniels’ irresistible
choreography, made even more appealing since it is executed with laser-like
precision by the talented ensemble. And the tight band under the direction of
David Pepin keeps the momentum tripping right along.

This
is a hopeful play, right down to the plot point involving a lottery winner. Of
course, we all know that lottery dreams are the stuff of fantasy for 99.999% of
the population. But in this show, hope springs…and raps…eternal.

In The Heights

Through
February 28 at the Beck Center, 17801 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood, 216-521-2540.

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About Me

is an award-winning theater critic, having been named Best Critic in Ohio by both the Press Club of Cleveland and the Society of Professional Journalists. She is currently the theater critic for Cleveland Scene. She has also reviewed plays for The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Free Times and City Pages in Minneapolis, MN. Christine acted and directed locally, primarily at Dobama Theatre, from 1969-1984.